Combined discharge and overflow siphon for washbasins



(Remodel.)

C. T. BYRNE.

COMBINED DISGHARGE AND OVBRPLOW SIPHON POR WASHBASINS, ne. No. 495,018. PatenteApr, l1, 1893.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. BYRNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED DISCHARGE AND OVERFLOW SIPHON FOR WASHBASINS, dc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,018, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed April l2, 1892. Serial No. 428,925. (No model.)

To @.ZZ whom. t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES T. BYRNE, a

ycitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful i Improvements in a Combined Discharge and Overflow Siphon for Washbasins, Bath-Tubs, che., of which the following is a specification. `A familiar means for discharging the contents oelevated inshing ktanks is a siphonpluggi. e. a1 plug which is in fact asiphon, the

longer leg of which enters andcloses the up- `1361. 6nd ofthe dischargepipe, while the shorter l no the longl leg of the siphon,is open at both ends leg terminates a short Vdistance from the bottom of the tank. This siphon is usually constructed of two concentric tubes of about the and at its lower end projects below theouter tube a sucient distance to form the plug for closing the entrance tothe discharge pipe and at the saine time hold the lower end of said outer tube from contact with the bottom of the tank.A Ifthe discharge pipe is without a seal or trap of any'ltind, as the water rises in the tank it rises also in the short leg of the Siphon, expelling the air therefrom into lthe longleg, and thence into the discharge pipe from which it escapes at bottom. Hence if the water rises to the level of the top of, the long leg of the siphon it will overflow into said leg and be prevented from overflowing .the sides of the tank. If, however, the discharge pipe were provided with a trap or seal of any sort (albeit the discharge pipes of flushing tanks never are) the air within it would be confined and therefore the water could rise in the short leg of the Siphon only to the extent that it could compress the air within the siphon and discharge tube. This would be only a short 4distance and the water would overflow the walls of the tank before it could overflow into the long leg of the Siphon.

`The object of the present invention is yto provide agconihinedo discharge siphon and overfiow for wash-basins, bath-tu bs, sinks and other vessels whose discharge pipes are provided withtraps or seals.

To this end, the present invention contemplates the use of a Siphon of any suitable construction, having at or near the top a vent, through which air may escape as the water rises up in the short leg of the Siphon, said vent being preferably provided with a valve which normally closes it but which is adapted to be unseated by the pressure of the air inside of the siphon.

The invention consists in certain features of novelty that are particularlypointed out in the claims'hereinafter, being first fully describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, which is made a part'of this specification, and ,in'which- Figure lis a vertical section of a wash-basin and a Siphon-plug embodying the invention under one of its many possible modifications. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of some of the parts and onta larger scale. Fig. 3is a similar sec tion showing a modification. Fig. 4 is a section of a vent and valve of still another modiiication. Fig. 5 is a plan View showing the shapeof the opening in the support through which the pull rod passes.

A represents a wash-basin, B the'drain-pipe thereof, and C a seal or trap in said pipe.

D is the Siphon-plug consisting of the tube d.' closed at top and the smaller tube d open at both ends and held concentrically within the tube d by means of suitable struts E. The tube d does not extend quite to the top of tube d, but projects some distance below it, and has its lower end slightly contracted in order to enable it to enter and seat firmly against the upper end of the discharge pipe. The tube CZ forms the short leg and the tube d' the long leg of the Siphon. Within the long leg of the Siphon is a cross-bar F from which depends a stem f, carrying at its lower end a strainer G, which fits the discharge pipe snugly and thereby constitutes also a guide for controlling the movement of the lower end of the siphon. To the upper end of the si phon is connected a pull rod H, which passes through an opening i, through a support I, and is provided at its upper end with a knob or handle J. The support I may consist of a portion of the top of the wash-stand projecting over the edge of the basin, as shown ICO by Fig. 1, or it may consist of a metal arm or Y bracket secured to some convenient part and projecting over the edge `of the vessel, as Shown by Fig. 3, or 0f any other Suitable dev1ce.

The opening 71 through the Support, or a collar t" resting upon it, is of key-hole shape and the pull rod is provided with a laterally projecting lug h, so situated that by pulling the rod up until the lug is above the top of the support, and turning the rod until the lug is out of register with the notch of the opening, the lug will bear upon the top of the support and thereby hold the Siphon elevated,

permitting the water to flow from the vessel directly into the discharge pipe.

Through the top of the Siphon is a vent through which air may escape from the in,- Side of the Siphon, said vent being preferably7 provided with a valve which seats inward, So that when the water rises up in the Short leg of the Siphon the pressure within the Siphon will lift the valve from its Seat `and permit the air to escape. In this way air may `be expelled from the Siphon until the waterK has risen in it to the level of lthe top of the i long leg thereof, and if the water Still co ntinues to rise in the tank it will over'iow into the long leg of the Siphon, and ify the kvolume of water overflowing be sufficient, siphoning will commence and continue until the basin is emptied of its contents.' Nor will this be interfered with in the least by the vent at the top of the Siphoii, because the valve of this vent iSSo arranged that it is unseated only by pressure within the Siphon, and while siphoning lis going on there is a Suction and not pressure within `the upper part of the Siphon. Indeed by properly proportioning the vent the valve may be dispensed with altogether.v This is possible because, since the water in the vessel rises slowly a Very small perforation will be Sufficient to permitthe air to` escape from the Siphon, and, on the other hand, when siphoning does commence the small amount of air that would be drawn in through Such an opening would not be Sufficient to interfere with it. I prefer, however, to use a valve, but do not limit myself to avalve constructed in any particularly way or located in any particular place, `and have shown this feature under several modifications. o

In Fig. 4 I have shown the vent K formed at the bottom of a sphero-segmental depression in the top of the Siphon, and a valve L consisting of a ball resting normally in said depression and closing said vent, said ball being held in place by a perforated hood M, secured to the Siphon.

In Fig. 8 I have Shown the vent K formed through the pull rod and a valve seat formed at the upper end thereof. The valve L, has on its under side a long, slender Stem Z that passes quite through the pull rod and is provided, inside of the Siphon, with a nut for preventing the stem from being completely withdrawn, while not preventing the `valve from unseating. In this form of the invention the pull rod is rigidly, but still removably attached to the Siphon. -Its-lower end is screwed into an internally threaded sleeve N, which passes through an opening in the top of the Siphon, has an enlarged head n that bears against the inside thereof, and is externally threaded for receiving a nut N that bears against the top of the Siphon on the outside thereof for holding the sleeve in place. The pull rod may be screwed out of the Sleeve without disturbing the latters conn nection with the Siphon, andxthe Siphon removed for cleaning.

As Shown by Figs. l and 2, the shank of an open eye or hook O, is Screwed into the lower end of the pull rod and held against turning by a jam-nut o. `This hook passes through a perforation p formed through astem P, which passes through an opening Q in the top of the Siphon, and has on the interior thereof an enlarged head P. The stem is of less diameter than 'the opening` Q, leaving sufcient space for venting the Siphon, Said opening being normally closed by. a `valve consisting of a flange R formed on or Secured to the stem P above the Siphon."` The perforation, p is elongated, so thatwhen theparts are in normal positions, as shown bythe drawings,

the valve restsuponL theftop of the Siphon and vit and itsfstem are free to rise whenever suflicient pressure is produced within the Siphon. v'In thisy formof the inventiongalso, the `Siphon `can be `removed,f either by unscrewing the Shank ofv hook 0, or'- by `disenkgaging the hook fromr the'stem P. This removability of the Siphon is an importantfeature, becausea Siphon used on a wash-basin, bath tub, Sink `or' similar vessel, will soon become foul, and if it cannot be removed and cleaned 'it' will become anun'endurable nuisance. v

I am aware thatit is not new to use a plug consisting of a pipe open at both ends and extending up to the desired high water line of the vessehand do not claim Suchas my invention. The invention is not limited to a receptacle of'any particular descriptiongbut is equally vapplicable to wash-basins, bathtubs, sinks, tanks, and vessels of all other descriptions having discharge pipes that are so sealed or closed as to prevent air from being expelled from them by the force ofthe water as it rises in vthe Siphon, nor islit in any way limited` to the character of this Seal or trap.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a vessel,a discharge pipe therefor, and a seal closing Said pipe, of a movable Siphon-plug, the long leg of which closes the` upper end of said pipe, Said Siphon-plug having at its upper part a vent, through which a'r may escape whenever there iS a pressure within the Siphonplug in excess of atmospheric pressure, and means for raising and lowering the said siphon-plug, Substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a vessel, a dis- .IOO

IIO

charge pipe therefor, and a seal closing said pipe, of a movable Siphon-plug, the long leg of which closes the upper end of said pipe, said Siphon-plug having at top a vent, an inward seating valve closing said vent and adapted to be unseated by pressure within the Siphon-plug, and means for raising and lowering the Siphon-plug, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a vessel and a discharge pipe, of a movable Siphon-plug having a pull rod,'a vent formed through said rod, an independently movable stem located in said vent, means for preventing its Withdrawal, and an inward seating valve on the stem, adapted to normally close the vent and to be unseated by pressure Within the Siphonplug, substantially as set forth.

1 CHARLES T. BYRNE. Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, J. HALPENNY. 

